BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — (RV) Parkside volleyball fell 3-2 to No. 1 Ferris State on Friday, 18-25, 17-25, 25-23, 25-19, 8-15. The Rangers matched the Bulldogs with 65 kills but hit .191 to Ferris State's .314 and were outblocked 8-2. The loss marked the first sets Ferris State has dropped this season.
Parkside opened the first set with consecutive
Sierra Kilbourn kills, the first from
Natalie Harris and the second from
Lucy Russ, but Ferris State pulled even at 2-2 and the teams traded points to 4-4. Ferris State followed with seven straight points — six on Parkside attack errors and one on a Lillian Peterson kill — to build an 11-4 lead. Kilbourn stopped that stretch with a kill, and
Maia Olson later delivered consecutive kills to cut Ferris State's lead to 15-8, but Ferris State pushed the margin to 23-11 with help from kills by
Ava Irvin, Lyndsey Urick and Gabby Piazza. Dani Kopacz's kill began a four-point Parkside run that also included a Kopacz-Kilbourn block and a Kilbourn kill, and after Peterson put Ferris State ahead 24-15, Kilbourn and Olson combined for three straight kills before Emily May finished the set at 25-18.
Ferris State put Parkside in an early 5-1 hole, starting with Lyndsey Urick and Hayley Wegener blocking
Avary Polavin and later getting consecutive service aces from Irvin. Parkside answered in stretches with kills from Russ, Olson,
Emily Zaper and
Hailey Warfel, but Ferris State moved ahead 11-6 on Gabby Piazza's ace and Emily May's kill. After Ferris State reached 18-11, Olson's kill, an Emily May attack error and Polavin's kill brought Parkside within 18-14, and Polavin added another kill to make it 19-15. Ferris State scored the next five points to reach 24-15, and after a service error and Polavin kill delayed the finish, May closed the set at 25-17.
Parkside started the third set with four straight points on Russ' serve, getting kills from
Monica Lukasiewicz and Polavin around a Russ service ace for a 4-0 lead. Ferris State worked back to 8-8 on kills by Emily May and Irvin, but Parkside answered with kills from Olson and Polavin to move back in front at 11-9. After Ferris State tied it again at 13-13, Kilbourn put Parkside ahead, and the teams traded points deep into the set before Ferris State pulled even at 20-20 and 22-22. Olson's kill and Zaper's ace gave Parkside set point at 24-22, and after Ferris State cut it to 24-23, Polavin finished the 25-23 set with a kill.
Parkside moved ahead 8-3 in the fourth set, getting early kills from Kilbourn and Polavin, a Lukasiewicz-Kilbourn block, two Zaper service aces and an Olson kill from Warfel. Ferris State cut the margin to 8-6 with a Parkside service error, a Parkside attack error and a Lillian Peterson kill, but Polavin, Warfel, Lukasiewicz and Kilbourn helped Parkside rebuild a 13-8 lead. Ferris State later pulled within 15-14 behind kills from Ana Colon and Emily May, and after Olson and Polavin pushed Parkside back to 17-14, Peterson and May brought Ferris State within 18-17. Parkside answered with kills from Polavin and Kilbourn to reach 20-17, then
Lauren Peters served an ace and Zaper added a kill during a push to 24-18 before Kilbourn closed the set at 25-19. Zaper recorded a season-high three service aces in the match.
Parkside traded early sideouts after Ferris State opened the fifth set with consecutive Emily May kills, with Lukasiewicz answering to make it 4-2 and a Ferris State service error bringing the Rangers within 5-3. Ferris State created separation from there, scoring four straight points on an Irvin kill, a block by Lyndsey Urick and Gabby Piazza, a Piazza kill and a Urick kill to move ahead 9-3. Olson stopped that stretch with a kill, but Ferris State added three more points for a 12-4 lead before Lukasiewicz and Polavin recorded late kills for Parkside. Ferris State reached match point on a Parkside service error, and after Polavin's kill made it 14-8, Irvin finished the set at 15-8.
Avary Polavin led Parkside with a team-high 20 kills and 20.0 points while adding two digs, tying her career high in kills.
Sierra Kilbourn followed with 17 kills and 18.0 points while recording two block assists.
Natalie Harris posted a team-high 26 digs and added six assists, while
Lucy Russ recorded a team-high 29 assists, nine digs and one service ace.
Maia Olson added 14 kills while hitting .345, setting a new career high in kills.
Samantha Molenhouse also recorded a season-high with 14 digs.
Parkside is 6-2 overall and 0-1 in GLIAC play. Ferris St. is 10-0 overall and 2-0 in GLIAC play.
Up Next
Parkside volleyball team hosts Lake Superior State University on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at 5 p.m. at De Simone Arena in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
For all things Parkside Volleyball, including links to live coverage, visit ParksideRangers.com/coverage.
